Grooved game board and disks for same



Jan. 10, 1950 w. LOWE, sR

GROOVED GAME BOARD AND DISKS FOR SAME Filed July 5, 1946 4a 5a 6a 7a 8::

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aux/.10, H H'orney Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNI-TE STATES PATENT OFFICE Laurence W. Lowe, S n, Memphis, Tenn. Application July 3,1946, Serial No, 681,358

' 1 4 Claims.

My invention relates to a game played with disks rolled on aboard of the chess board type, with intersecting grooves which run substantially in diagonal direction. j

. Twelve disks or men are used, by each opponent, making alternate moves and throws, ,the first player togain'the'opposite side, that is, the endofthe grooves, with his men, or disks being the winner. 1:2 Another way of playing the game is to make rthe moves according to the points between 1 and l2, obtained from dice thrown by each player; in turn. .Inthe' event oneplayers move is blocked by his opponents disk standing at the intersection of the groove, 'usediatthe time, said player loses his movewhich must pass on to his opponent. should all grooves be blocked the game islost. A

An embodiment of this invention in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game board with 24 grooves in all;

Figure 2' is a sectional view taken on 9, along line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure3 is a side elevation of one of 1 i' o Figure 4 is a length section of a groove along line 4-4 of Figure 1 in part perspective; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view in larger scale showing the pockets in the grooves for the disks.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a game board, denoted by numeral 20, of square or rectangular shape, surrounded by a frame 2|. The board has a flat top surface. The bottom surface of the board may also be plain, but preferably corrugated as shown at H in Figure 3 in order to make it stronger and lighter.

The top surface 22 is provided with two sets of grooves, one set 24, of twelve grooves running in the direction from left upper corner of the board down to the right lower corner, and the second set of grooves 25, running in the opposite direction from the right upper corner down to the left lower corner of the board.

There are here shown twelve diagonal grooves in each set, but of course a smaller or greater number may be used. Likewise, it should be understood that instead of running the grooves diagonally as here shown, forming diamond shaped spaces between them, the grooves may instead intersect to form squares.

In playing the game, small, thin disks l6, Figure 3, are used for rolling in the grooves. each set having its own color, as for instance one set is illustrated plane the disks 7 red and the other set white. The disks are all of one'-size,-as from inchto one inch, similar to poker chips. The depth of the grooves 24 and 25, cut-in the top of. the board, is about A; of the diameter of the chip l6, that is, the greater portion of, a chip will :stand above the top of' a groove in which it is inserted. The thickness of theboard must be suflicient not to be weakened by its cuttingup by the many grooves. For that reason, the-board may be reinforced by ridges .11, provided on the underside of the board,.one beneath each'ofcsaid' grooves 24 and 25.

These grooves 24 and 25 have all smoothfaced bottoms between intersections, where a pocket oredepressionB is provided so that a disk I 6, dropped at the starting end from the left side of thegboard in the first or any other groove counted from the bottom end of the field or set of grooves 24 is moved step by step from one crossing groove 25 tothe next. where it will be stopped in a pocket B before it can reach the upper right end of the board. A disk will accordingly have a jumpy path from start to finish. As will be seen, all the twelve grooves I to I 2 in one set.25 are extended in both directions beyond the grooves in to l2a of the other set 24., ,These extensions of the grooves may be used for placing the men or disks IS in readiness for starting the game.

As already stated, the two players have alternate moves, and the game is to pass all twelve disks across the board to the other side. Each player tries to prevent his opponent from winning and the only way to do this is for him to manage to have his disk H5 in groove to, for instance, to obstruct the players disk at the intersection of groove [0, see Figure 3, to pass beyond said point. This tactic is repeated at each move.

At the top of the board is shown a bench or seat 26 for idle men or chips IE, not in use.

It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the 'subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a two player game, the combination of two sets of similarly formed disk-shaped game at each intersection thereof with the grooves-'- of the other set, said pockets conforming to the peripheral curvature of the game pieces whereby the pieces are interfittingly received therein, and

the depth of each pocket beingapprt'ir'ri rl 'fate1y' equal to one third the diameternf,the ;gan1e;; pieces whereby approximately one third of a q game piece projects above the game boariiwhen the piece is resting in one of said pockets.

' 2; in a two player game -ei'nploying two sets of similarly shaped disks oli 'distinguishing inarlrings for the two sets, aiigarne board for rolling said sets of discs therea'c'ross inmutuallyi-cros's mg :directions, said game board havingtwo sets or rectangular grooves formed in the topfsurface thereof, ea'chise't orxgrooves being for -use a set of disks, one-groove of ea'c'hset or grooves being provided' for each disk of a 'lset,

the grooves of each set 'being'par'ellel toeach ather and the grooves of one set intersecting with the grooves ofthe other set, each of the grooves having a width sufficie'ntv to freely receive. said disks when positioned upright therein whereby .the :disks may be rolled along in the grooves'eaeh -35 -groove of each set having cyi-indrically "shaped pockets conforming to the peripheral curvature of the disks formed .in "the bottom thereof at each intersectic-nithereo'f with the grooves or the other set, each of the grooves being of sufficient depth to cause approximately "two thin-ls of 'a dish positioned therein to project above the game board, and each pocket being 'of su'fiicieht depth to cause approximately onethi-rd of a iiisk posit-ioned therein to project above the game board. 155235 .-3.. A game board for use with a pliirality of'f identical edisk s'hap'e'd game pieces and having 4 two sets of rectangular grooves formed in the top surface thereof, the grooves of each set being parallel with respect to each other and the grooves of one set intersecting with the grooves of the other set, each of the grooves having a width sufficient to freely receive said game pieces when positioned upright therein whereby the game pieces may be rolled along in the grooves, ie'ach, groove *fdf each "set having cy lindrically shaped'podkets 'c'onforin'i'r'ig to the cylindrical periphery of the game pieces formed in the bot- 'tom thereof at each intersection thereof with the grooves of the other set, and said grooves nd pockets having depths approximately equal to one third thediameter of the game pieces.

""ii :A" game board for use with a plurality of 1 game disks and having two sets of rectangular grooves formed in the upper surface thereof, the grooves-or one set intersecting with the grooves of the other set and the grooves of each set being parallel with respect to each other, each groove-being of sufiicierit'width and depth to support said disks upright therein and to .prm vide free rolling movement of the disks therein, eachfigroove of each set having cylindrically shaped diskreceiving pockets formed in the s-bote toinsthereof ea'ch lintersectionthereof WithJtlie grooves ei the other set and of 'sufiicient depth to prevent free rolling of the disks through the intersections, and said board having a plurality of ridges formed on the bottom surface thereof arranged beneath Asaiti grooves respectively iw -herebyto provide 'sufiicient strength for *a board of light weight; 1 Y

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I I 1 @REFERENCES CITED Ijhe following references are of record in the nicer this patent? v UNIT-ED STAT-ES PATENTS Number Name T Date 1,337,274 Rosenberger Apr. 20, 192i) Stanage Sept '1, '1925 1,700,016 Belanger Jan. 22,- (9-29 

